Cameroon ex-defense minister barred from leaving the country over corruption

Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-11 16:24:15|Editor: xuxin

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YAOUNDE, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Cameroon Special Criminal Court imposed travel restrictions on former Minister of Defense, Alain Edgard Mebe Ngo'o, banning him from leaving the country "till further notice," according to an order signed Jan. 30 but made public on Sunday.

The court also barred Ngo'o's wife Bernadette Mebe Ngo'o, and two army officers, Ghislain Victor Mboutou and Maxime Leonard Mbangue from leaving the country.

The order was due to an ongoing investigation into allegations that the former minister and the three others were involved in bribery and corruption over the purchase of military equipment from Magforce, a company that sells a full range of military clothing, equipment and vehicles.

Ngo'o served in Cameroonian government as Defense Minister from 2009-2015, making him one of the longest serving defense ministers in the country. He was sacked from the government in 2017 after serving as Minister of Transport from 2015-2017.

According to sources at Cameroon's presidency, he was a "confidant" and "an important security adviser" to President Paul Biya during his stay in government.